New Kid in LA
by Ashabadash
Summary: This is where a daughter may have come in handy... The Eppes Family welcomes home Ashlynn Eppes. Many relationships swirl around, and her arivial causes all hell to break loose! ALSO: Larry/Megan, Charlie/Amita Colby/OC
1. Missed You Sis

**Authors Note: **There is something Allan said in one episode saying, "well this is where a daughter would have come in handy" so I worked off this quote and my common story topics. I've never written a NUMB3RS fic before so don't flame me to a fiery death, if I get something wrong, lemme no politely cuz flames suck ass.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own NUMB3RS, just Ashlynn and Danny Epps.

* * *

**New Kid in LA**

By: Ashley Sanderson

**Chapter 1- Missed You Sis**

Charlie and Alan were sitting at the table eating breakfast around eight in the morning when Don had called.

"Hey bro, you think you can come down here later today? We need you help with a case," Don's voice came through the ear piece. Charlie shook his head and laughed.

"Yeah Don, I don't have class today so I'll come down after breakfast, okay?" Don agreed and hung up.

"I begin to think your brother relies on you too much," Alan said to his son, scooping another spoonful of Cheerios into his mouth. Their breakfast was interrupted a second time by a knock at the door. "I'll get it, you finish up and get to Don," Alan said, rising from his seat and heading to the door way.

Charlie forked another bite of Eggo waffle into his mouth and before he knew it, he was on the floor.

"UNCLE CHARLIE!" a small voice screamed on top of him. Charlie opened his eyes and looked into the deep blue eyes of a very excited six year old.

"Hey Danny," Charlie grunted, sitting up and placing his nephew on his lap. "Where's your mom?" Just then, Alan walked back in with a young woman by his side.

"Hey big brother!" she squealed. Charlie stood up and picked up Danny with tremendous effort (Danny was a lot smaller when Charlie last saw him.)

"Ashlynn," Charlie smiled and pulled his little sister into a big hug. "How are you? Welcome back!"

"We're good and it's good to be back," Ash smiled sweetly.

"How's Stanford?" Alan asked.

"Great! Really great. You know what's even greater though?" Ashlynn asked her father.

"What?"

"That CalSci opened a new major…" the Epps sister glanced at the mathematician with a wide grin.

"You're not…" Charlie stated.

"I am!" She smiled.

"Would anyone like to tell me what's going on?" Alan asked.

"Mommy's gunna go to school with Uncle Charlie!" Danny jumped up and down. Alan looked at his daughter with a raised eyebrow.

"CalSci started Psychology courses, so I decided to move back home," Ashlynn smiled and the Epps men all jumped for joy.

"Cummon Ash, we gotta tell Don!" Charlie said already running out the door. Ash stayed put as the door slammed shut and she looked over to her father.

"I missed you guys," she smiled and hugged him, glancing at the door when it slammed again.

"Uncle Charlie, you're in your PJ'S!" Danny laughed and Charlie ran upstairs to get changed.

"Oh we missed you too, dear," Alan said, barely even noticing the forgetfulness of his son. "We missed you too."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okay, lemme just say now, writing the parent/child relationship is kinda hard for me since my parents died when I was 2, so don't really get to mad if Alan doesn't seem as close to his kids as he seems in the show, just how I write… 

Review!!!


	2. A Place to Call Home

**Author's Note: **Thank you all for your awesome reviews! Also TYVM **Erin** for the spelling correction! Apparently it's spelled Eppes not Epps, so thank you. Now here's where Colby meets his girl and we introduce the other Eppes brother, along with a little background info on Ashlynn.

Continue your reviews! I love them to death.

* * *

**Chapter 2- A Place To Call Home**

"So Donnie pulled you into this crazy business?" Ash asked her big brother as Charlie drove to FBI.

"Well, I sorta volunteered," Charlie shrugged, turning onto another street. "How about you, eh? How are you affording a psychology PhD? At CalSci nonetheless, "Charlie asked.

"With the Master in English I got last year…" Charlie seemed confused. "I'm using my salary from teaching to pay for classes at CalSci," she explained.

"Oh, I see," Charlie said. "And you plan on living…" Ashlynn flashed her brother a wide grin.

"Ah, no, no, no, no, no, no," Charlie protested. "No."

"Cummon Chuck!" Ash said, "You bought the house, there are three extra rooms…" she began to pout, "Please…"

"Fine," Charlie gave in, "and don't call me Chuck," the two laughed and Charlie turned the car into the FBI parking lot.

* * *

Inside FBI, Don Eppes had just hung up with his brother again.

"What are we smiling about?" Megan Reeves asked.

"My sister has come home," he laughed.

"You have a sister?" David asked as he walked in behind Megan.

"Yea, she's been at Stanford working on a Psychology PhD," Don answered. He looked around, "Where's Colby?"

"Late," Megan and David both answered, laughing slightly.

* * *

"Hey, Ash, wait up. I left my laptop in the car," Charlie said. Ashlynn nodded and Charlie ran back to the elevators. She walked around the lobby for a while, looking at pictures of agents and articles posted up on the wall. She passed a picture of Don with his names under it.

_You go Donnie,_ she thought. Seconds later, she felt a thud and was toppled to the floor.

"Ow," she groaned, noticing there was a body on top of her.

"I am SO sorry," a voice said. The man on top of her stood up and offered her a hand. She took it and stood up. "Um, I'm sorry, are you hurt?" he asked. Ashlynn shook her head, nearly on the verge of laughter.

"No I'm fine, thanks," she smiled.

"Hey, Colby, you're late man!" someone yelled from down the hall.

"I'm sorry, I got to run," he said pointing down the hall.

"No, honest, its fine, go on," Ash laughed. He began to run off when he turned around again.

"Colby," he said.

"Ashlynn," Ash replied, and he ran off. _Welcome to L.A._ Ash thought. When Colby was out of sight, Charlie had arrived in the elevator.

"Hey Ash, sorry about that, ready to go?" Ash nodded and she and Charlie walked into the office.

* * *

"Ashlynn!" Don yelled, giving his baby sister a huge hug.

"Hey Don," Ash replied.

"Cummon lets meet the gang…they'll love you!" Don said dragging her to a room toward the back.

* * *

_In the Backroom_

"So Don said his sister was coming to town?" David asked.

"No, she's already here," Megan said. Colby looked up from his cup of coffee.

"There's another Eppes?" he asked.

"Two," Megan replied laughing at the startled look on his face. "See Granger, this is what happens when you're late; you miss out on all the good stuff." Colby nodded and took another sip of coffee. When the three Eppes' walked in though, he spit the coffee out across the room, recognizing the woman he knocked over in the lobby.

"Hey guys, this is my sister Ash; Ash, this is the gang; Megan," Don introduced.

"Hi," Megan smiled sweetly.

"David."

"Nice to meet you," David shook Ash's hand.

"And the man who just spat coffee all over the place is the one and only Colby," Ashlynn suppressed a laugh, remembering him from the 'spill' earlier.

"Nice to see you again," Colby held up a hand in hello.

"Same to you," she replied, getting a quizzical look from her brothers.

"Okay," Don said slowly, still eyeing his sister. "Now that we've made introductions, let's get to work. What do we have?" Megan stood up with a file in her hand and Ash took a seat in the back, intending to just sit and watch.

"LAPD handed us a serial kill," Megan started. "Five murders, all the same M.O. Strangled, tied to a wooden cross, and hung upside down in an old warehouse…"

"Same warehouse each time?" Charlie asked.

"No, always different. LAPD thinks it's a religious statement, because of the cross…"

"Are there any commonalities between the victims?" David asked while scanning a file.

"Yes, actually, all five of them are white, male, construction workers and share the same birthday: Matthew Lopez: September 13, 1975; James Castello: September 13, 1976; Michael Moore: September 13, 1977; Daniel Koch: September 13, 1978; and Christopher Gregorys: September 13, 1979." Megan read off a list that projected to a computer screen.

"How does any of this connect to a church, besides the cross…" Don asked.

"I don't think that…" Ashlynn started, but soon stopped. "Sorry."

"Nah, go ahead," Colby said, smiling at her.

"Um, okay. I don't think that the cross is a huge significance. Well it is, but not right now." She stood up and walked over to the screen. "In my first year of Psychology, we learned how a life altering experience, such as a new baby or a death in the family, causes a person to change their demeanor around that date."

"So you're saying we want to focus on September 13, 1980, the next date?" Charlie asked.

"No, just the opposite, focus on September 13, 1974. The murders all start with the birthday's a year afterward."

"Damn…" David said, smiling at Ashlynn.

"Oh, she's staying." Colby stated. Looking over to Ash he added, "We aren't going to let you go that easily." The whole group laughed loudly and Ash thought she'd finally found comfort.

A place to call home.


	3. Home Alone

**Chapter 3- Home Alone**

**(Two weeks later)**

"Okay, I'll be in Sacramento for a week, I left my phone number on the fridge, along with the address of the hotel and…"

"Dad!" Ash stopped her father's babbling. "Chill, I'm 27, not 7, I'll be okay. I'll only be alone for a few days! Charlie and Amita are hiking only a couple miles out of town, and Danny and I did fine by ourselves before, now get out of here," Ashlynn pushed Alan out the door.

"Okay okay, fine I'm gone!" Alan laughed, kissing his daughter on the forehead. "Geez, my daughter kicks me out of my son's house at six in the morning. There is just something strange about that…"

"Bye Dad," Ash laughed and closed the door. She looked at her watch. _6:05_. she would wake Danny in another ten minutes. Ash went to the dining room and collected her things for her classes. She saw a file Don left on the table for Charlie, _but since Charlie wasn't here…_

Ash opened the file. _40 year old Lewis Desoto…worked in the construction union… white male…murder: strangulation and hung in St. Peter's church on September 13, 1974…murders never apprehended._ Ashlynn continued to read until she saw Don's handwriting.

_Peter Desoto was his son, I'm thinking unfinished business? Ask Ash about the cross now…I'm thinking revenge?_

Ash took up the file and put it in her bag. She would visit Don after school.

"Daniel Liam Eppes!" She called upstairs, eyeing her watch again, "Get up!" she heard a shuffle of feet above her and then a knock at the door. Thinking Alan forgot something, she hurried to the door.

"Dad, I swear, I wont burn the house down now just…Oh, hey Agent Granger, what brings you out here?" Ash asked, seeing that it was Colby at the door.

"Don told me to come by and get the…uh…math thing…" Ashlynn laughed. "Hey, I do what they tell me to do, doesn't mean I have to understand it," Colby smiled. "And call me Colby; I hate that Agent Granger crap."

"Sure Colby, um, Charlie's stuff is in the garage," Ash said.

"Okay, thanks Ashlynn," she held up a hand.

"Just Ash, I don't know what my parents were thinking, honestly," Ash cracked a smile. "I'll be right back," Colby nodded and watched Ash run to the garage. He walked aimlessly around the dining room, looking at pictures on the mantle and on the wall.

"Who you?" a small voice startled the Agent. Colby turned around and saw a little boy staring at him.

"Who are you?" Colby asked.

"I asked firs," the boy said in a childish slur. Colby laughed.

"I'm Colby," he said, holding out his hand.

"Danny," he said apprehensively. "Are you a cop?"

"Sort of," Colby replied, crouching down to Danny's eye level. "I'm an FBI Agent."

"My Uncle Don is one of those!" Danny bounced on the balls of his feet. Colby laughed again.

"Found it!" Ash called coming through the kitchen door. "I swear, Charles…oh, hey Danny. I see you two met."

"This is Colby!" Danny introduced.

"Thank you for the introduction Daniel, but you need breakfast. Hurry up," Ash called after Danny as he ran into the kitchen. "My son," she said.

"I noticed, he looks a lot like you," Colby smiled as Ash handed him the file. Colby opened it, looked through the file, raised his eyebrows, and closed it without a word.

"Did you understand any of it?" Ash asked. Colby shook his head.

"I just nod my head and wait for the punch line," he smiled. Ash laughed.

"I…uh…I better get to work," Colby said, checking his watch.

"Yea, I'm teaching today so," neither of them finished their sentence.

"Mommy, let's go we be late!" Danny jumped up and down by the door.

"Okay, okay!" Ashlynn laughed. She and Colby walked over to the door and continued outside.

"Nice seeing you Colby," Ash flashed him a bright smile.

"You too Ash," he grinned back, and each got into their car and drove away.


	4. Going to School

**Chapter 4-Going to School**

Around 2:30, Don, Megan, and Colby were watching David in the interrogation room as he spoke calmly with the owner of St. Peter's Church; Fr. Tom. Apparently, Fr. Tom did not know about Lewis Desoto when he was hired, which was not good for the FBI's investigation.

Don's phone began to ring. "Thank God, I don't think I could listen to more babbling from this guy," he said, making Megan and Colby laugh. Don pulled out his phone. "Hello?"

"_Hey Donnie, its Ash, what are you doing around three o'clock?_"

"Um, I'm not sure kiddo, why?" Don asked, slightly confused.

"_Want to come pick me up from the high school around then? My car broke down when I got here…_" Don rolled his eyes sarcastically.

"Been here two weeks and already you're in trouble?" Don laughed. "Sure Ash, I'll pick you up, see you around three, bye." Don hung up and shook his head. "My sister. I swear, I have NO idea how she survived alone at Stanford…" he chuckled.

"And with a kid too," Megan added, "That just makes it harder to keep in check."

"Nah, I think Danny is the one to keep her going," Colby laughed.

"When did you meet Danny?" Don asked.

"About 6:30 this morning," Colby answered. "When I went to get the um, the um...probability of the uh…yea, Charlie's thing." Colby shook his head.

"Oh I see," Don nodded. Just then David walked in with them.

"Fr. Tom doesn't know anything; he gave me the number of the priest that was there before him, but doesn't know how reliable he is." David sounded disappointed. He should be, he was in there for three hours!

Megan looked at her watch, "Hey, its Wednesday…you think I could…" Megan pointed to the door.

"Yea, go ahead Megan, say hi to Larry for me," Don said. Megan smiled and walked out. Don and David turned to Colby.

"What?" The blonde asked.

"No comment? No protest? No anything?" David asked.

"About Fleinheart and Megan? Nah, it's fine…" Colby smiled. Don's eyes grew wide.

"Are you feeling well?" Don put his hand to Colby's head but he smacked it away.

"Leave me alone," Colby said. The other men laughed, but stopped as a man in a suit walked in.

"Agent Eppes?" Don nodded. "I'd like to speak with you for a moment," the man said.

"I'm going to follow up on this number," David said and walked out.

"Um, yea do that," Don said, checking his watch. "Will this be long?" the man nodded and Don turned to Colby. "You think you could pick up Ash? I would but…" Don gestured to the suit.

"Sure Don, no prob," Colby smiled.

"Thanks, Terra Linda High School," Don instructed. Colby saluted and Don walked out, with Colby close behind.

* * *

Colby stuck the visitor's pass to his chest and walked down the hall to Ashley's class room. He opened the door and slipped in, unnoticed by her students.

"Guys! Cummon!" She half laughed. "I'm not letting you out until everyone has read their assignment out loud." Ash argued with the class.

"You do it," a Hispanic boy in the front row said.

"That's not the assignment," Ash smart mouthed.

"So, teacher's never gotta do work," the boy complained.

"Okay, Jose, here's the deal, you read yours without the paper and I'll quote someone randomly." Ash raised and eyebrow at the student. He shrugged and stood up. As he recited a sonnet by Shakespeare, Ashlynn walked to the back and stood next to Colby.

"Hey, um, Don was in a meeting so he asked if I could…" Colby whispered.

"Okay, school gets out at 3:15, you can sit at my desk," Ash pointed, as the class applauded for Jose.

"Your turn," Jose snapped back. Ash nodded and walked up to the front of the classroom. Colby smiled expecting a sweet sonnet; he didn't think she'd rap it.

"_Shall I compare thee to a Summers Day, thou aren't more lovely nor more temperate…_" The kids clapped as she finished and the bell rang moments later.

"Turn in your journals!" Ash ordered. The kids groaned and put their folders on her desk as they left.

"Ms. Eppes?" a student asked.

"Oh, hey Kyle," Ash said.

"You wanted to discuss my journal?" he sounded nervous.

"Yes, there was something here…" Ashley fingered a green notebook and sat at a desk. "This story here…is everything alright at home Ky?" Ash seemed concerned.

"Well, my dad passed away a few years ago and my mom has two jobs, so I help out with my sisters, there are three of them. And I gotta cook dinner and help with homework and do chores and get the girls ready for school…" the teenager took a deep breath. "It's a lot of work, and I just don't have a lot of time for _my_ work, you see?" Ashlynn nodded. "You're actually the first teacher to ask me; everyone else thinks I'm dumb."

"You're not dumb Kyle." Ash assured the boy. "When is your mom home from work?"

"Thursdays," Kyle said.

"Why don't I come over Thursday nights and we discuss a schedule so you can do your homework and help out your sisters?" Kyle smiled. "How old is the oldest sister?"

"12."

"12? She can help your younger sisters with homework right," Ash smiled and Kyle agreed.

"Yea, yea that's good," Kyle got up and grabbed his bag. "I gotta catch my bus, thank you Ms. Eppes, I'll talk to mom about Thursday, bye!" and Kyle ran out the door. Ash smiled and turned to the occupant of her desk.

"Sorry about that Colby," Ash said.

"Its okay, Ash, you actually did pretty well," Colby stood up. She cracked a grin and the two headed out the door and to Colby's car. "Where to?" He asked, starting the car.

"Well, I don't pick Danny up for another 2 hours, so you can just bring me home and then I'll figure out how to pick him up from daycare later…" Colby held up a hand.

"Why don't I take you to lunch, then we can pick up Danny when I drive you home," Ashlynn contemplated the offer for a moment, but her stomach answered for her.

"I'm going to take that as a yes?" Colby raised an eyebrow. Ash blushed and nodded.

"Rex's Diner it is!" Colby smiled, and Ashlynn laughed as the drove down the highway.


	5. Bets on the New Kid

**Chapter 5- Bets on the New Kid**

Colby and Ashlynn sat in a booth near the back of the diner. They talked a lot, enjoying stories about each other. As the waitress came with the check, which Colby insisted on paying, Ash's phone rang.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Hi Mommy!" Danny squealed into the phone. "Can I stay the night at Josh's house? Pweese!!!" Ashlynn smiled, glad Danny was making friends fast.

"Let me talk to Josh's mother," she said. The two women shared a quick conversation and Ash agreed to pick Danny up the next afternoon.

"So where to?" Colby asked as they exited the diner.

"I guess home…I don't think that house has ever been quiet," Ash said, climbing into the car.

"Alright," Colby started his car. "How are you going to get your car tomorrow?" He looked over and saw her bite her lip.

"I…I'm working on it," she smiled. The two laughed as Colby drove down the road.

* * *

**(About an hour later)**

Colby and Ashlynn ran into the Eppes home drenched. About five blocks back Colby's car got a flat tire, and about three blocks back it began to rain. The two new friends decided to just run for it and had just reached the house when lightning began to strike.

"Well, well, well, look who's home," Charlie's voice came through the living room.

"And with a friend," Larry added. Ashlynn and Colby walked in to see them, along with Amita and Megan, sitting on the floor playing a game of cards.

"You guys weren't due home for a couple more days," Ash smiled.

"Raining is not good for hiking, so Megan picked us up," Amita said.

"I told them how your car broke down and Colby went to pick you up," Megan said, noticing Ash's quick glance to the agent beside her.

"Care to join us?" Larry asked, gesturing to the cards in front of him.

"Sure, let me just find a change of clothes and we'll be right down," Ash led Colby upstairs, leaving the two couples to finish their current game.

"Here," Ash said moments later. "Don left some old clothes here, hope they fit…"

"Thanks," Colby said, smiling at Ashlynn's nervousness. She retreated to her bedroom and Colby entered Alan's.

As she changed into comforting clothes, (black sweatpants and a Stanford Freshman Tee), Ashlynn wondered why she was so tense. She exited her room and walked downstairs, seeing Colby had already taken his place on the couch.

"Don called," Charlie said nonchalantly. "So did Dad, both say for you not to go outside because of the storm."

"Ah, so worried about the baby of the family," Ash sighed, slightly annoyed that she was 27 years old and her brother and father still had to call and check on her.

"Poker anyone?" Larry asked, shuffling the cards in a very complicated manner.

"Fleinheart, how do you do that?" Colby asked.

"Well Agent Granger, it is simple physics, all you need to know is…" Colby held up a hand.

"Lost me at simple physics," the group laughed and Amita dealt out the cards. They all played for a good half hour before Ashlynn, Colby, and Megan got tired of being beaten.

"We are watching a movie!" Ash suddenly declared, jumping up and heading over to the DVD's on the shelf. Amita and Megan went to help pick a video while the boys cleaned up the cards. Charlie went to the kitchen and grabbed a six-pack of beer, coming back to find the five others spread throughout the living room.

"Aw, a Chick Flick!" Charlie wined.

"Hey man we tried," Colby said. "But you sister can be a little scary."

"Just a little?" Charlie asked. Ash replied by taking a beer in one hand and swatting her brother with the other. Charlie groaned in mock pain and distributed the rest of the bottles. Then, after Charlie had joined Amita on the couch, Megan pressed play and Titanic began to play on the TV.

Right as the ice burg hit the boat, Larry was tapping Charlie and Amita's shoulders.

"What Larry?" Amita whispered. The physics professor simply smirked and pointed toward the spot against the couch where Ashlynn and Colby had chosen to sit. At that moment, the two were both asleep; Ash's head on the agent's shoulder and Colby's arm wrapped protectively around the teacher's waist. A round of 'aw' came from the other four.

"Ten bucks," Megan said. "That they kiss by the end of the weekend."

"Fifteen by the end of the month," Larry declared, penciling down the wagers.

"Twenty," Amita bargained, thinking for a moment, "that they kiss in the next 24 hours."

"Fifty," Charlie announced. Everyone stared at him, "That they are dating by six weeks from today." Questioning looks. "Don's birthday."

Larry, Megan, Charlie, and Amita laughed quietly and continued the movie, each making quick glances at Ashlynn and Colby from time to time.

But before the unsinkable boat sank, three mathematicians, two FBI agents, and an English teacher/psychology student were asleep on the floor.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sorry this took so long, my brothers, my sister, and my best friend went to DISNEYLAND for ski week! So much fun…

Review!!! And if you want to be my FAVORITE reviewer, gimme advice for getting "_It's a small world after all…_" Out of my head!

XOXOXOX Ashley


	6. A Dance

**Chapter 6- A Dance**

Colby woke up to the sound of white noise coming from the TV and Charlie's snoring from the couch. A soft glow came from the kitchen. So Colby went to check it out. He walked in to find Ashlynn at her laptop, typing away. He quietly snuck up behind her and read over her shoulder.

"The Psychosis of the Criminal Mind," Ash jumped a foot and a half. Colby chuckled softly.

"What are you doing up so early?" she asked after calming down. Colby looked at the clock. 2:30 am.

"Same question," Colby retorted. Ash giggled and took a sip of whatever was in her cup.

"This seems to be the only time of the day when people tend to sleep," Colby raised an eyebrow, "this is my thesis paper."

"Ah, I see," Colby said. "Speaking of criminals though; did you read the file we left Charlie, about Peter Desoto?" Ashley nodded. "We owe you a thanks because of that, we are still having trouble finding him but, at least we know who we are looking for." _Okay Granger, babbling,_ Colby thought.

"It was no problem, really," Ash blushed slightly. She continued typing and Colby watched for a while before she stopped.

"So…" Colby said, breaking the silence. "You are an English teacher, a psychology student, a single mom…what do you do for fun?" Ash laughed.

"In all my spare time?" she asked sarcastically. Colby shrugged. "I read, I watch TV, I write a little but other than that, I have no free time." Ashlynn shrugged. "Don't tell me you have all the time in the world Granger," she smirked.

"Point made, point made…" Colby smiled. The two laughed a bit, but stopped when they heard movement from the other room. Ashlynn quickly put a finger to her lips and they both got quiet, waiting for Megan to fall back asleep. When she did, ash led Colby through the back door and out to the garage.

"There, now we can talk normally," Ash said matter-of-factly. She walked over to the radio, which was sitting next to the air hockey table.

"You play?" Colby asked, referring to the air hockey table.

"Not in a while, Charlie keeps beating me," ash admitted. She turned the radio on and Colby tossed her the puck

"You start," he said, heading to the other side. They played the game for a while, and each time, Colby hit it right through Ashlynn's feeble attempt to block it.

"How do you do that!" Ash asked after the puck went through for the fifth time. Granger laughed.

"Here, I'll show you," he walked around the table and stood behind her. Placing one hand on the table and the other hand on hers, Colby demonstrated the technique in his air hockey attack. Ash tried to ignore the faint butterflies in his stomach. Suddenly a song crackled onto the radio.

"In this storm?" Colby asked.

_Well I hope that I don't fall in love with you  
'Cause falling in love just makes me blue,  
Well the music plays and you display your heart for me to see,  
I had a beer and now I hear you calling out for me  
And I hope that I don't fall in love with you._

"Would you like to dance?" Colby asked. Ashlynn laughed and took his outstretched hand.

_  
Well the room is crowded, there's people everywhere  
And I wonder, should I offer you a chair?  
Well if you sit down with this old clown, take that frown and break it,  
Before the evening's gone away, I think that we could make it,  
And I hope that I don't fall in love with you.  
I can see that you are lonesome just like me, and it being late,  
You'd like some company,  
Well I've had two, I look at you, and you look back at me,  
The guy you're with has up and split, the chair next to you's free,  
And I hope that you don't fall in love with me.  
And I hope that you don't fall in love with me.  
Now it's closing time, the music's fading out  
Last call for drinks, I'll have another stout.  
Turn around to look at you, you're nowhere to be found,  
I search the place for your lost face, guess I'll have another round  
And I think that I just fell in love with you.  
_

The song ended and the radio went back to its static.

But Colby and Ashlynn continued to dance around the garage.

* * *

**Author's Note: **hope u liked, the song is I Hope I Don't Fall In Love With You by Tom Waits.

Does anyone know when The Eppes' mother died, how, and what her name was?

please and thank you.

ALSO! To all of you who gave the Small World Advice, you rocked, small word is no more!

Ashley


	7. False Acusations

**A/N: I have to apologize for the double use of the name Kyle in this story, but I had written this chapter a while ago and didn't want to change the name. The Kyle from the school will not show up again, but the one mentioned here will.

* * *

**

**Chapter 7- False Acusations**

The FBI was bustling with business the next day. By Don's desk, Charlie, Larry, and Amita were all explaining some extremely complicated math problem to Don, Megan, David, and Colby when Ashlynn came running in.

"What is it Ash?" Don asked, but the young brunette didn't answer. She simply stood between Colby and David against the wall of the cubical and slid to the floor. "What's wrong?" Ashlynn quietly pointed to the door where a beefy looking man glared around.

"Mark Mecosta," Ash whispered and hugged her knees.

"Kyle's dad?" Don asked. Ash nodded and buried her face in her knees. David walked over and stood by Don, trying not to make eye-contact with the man now advancing toward them.

"Who is Mark Mecosta?" David asked.

"Kyle's dad," Don answered.

"Who's Kyle?" Amita asked.

"Danny's dad," Charlie answered. Just then, Mark arrived in front of Don. Colby and Larry both moved to stand in front of Ashlynn who had stood up, but faced away.

"Can I help you?" Don asked, pretending not to know the man.

"Yes," Mark had a deep voice. "I'd like to report a murder."

Don raised an eyebrow. "Okay…care to tell me who died? And, who did it?"

"Oh," Mark looked a little taken aback. "Right, my son, Kyle Mecosta was murdered two years ago." Mr. Mecosta took a deep breath. "By his girl friend Ashlynn Eppes."

Next thing anybody knew, Colby and Larry were on the floor and Ashlynn was standing next to Don, fuming. "I DID NOT KILL HIM!" Ashlynn yelled.

"You did too you Bitch!" Mark moved to backhand her, but she caught his fist, advancing on him.

"Just because YOU can't get it around YOUR TINY LITTLE BRAIN that your son KILLED himself, DOES NOT mean that you have to blame ME!" Ash let go of the man's fist and ran out of the office.

"Did you see that? She attacked me! Aren't you going to arrest her?" Mecosta yelled.

"Mr. Mecosta, we will look into this right away, but until then, I suggest you just give us your address and wait for our call," the text book answer came from David. This just seemed to piss him off more.

"You know what? The assholes in Stanford Police Department didn't care about my son's death and now all of you are covering for that bitch!" he knocked the contents of the desk on the ground. "I'm going to find that bitch, and kill her myself!" And with that, he stormed out of the office.

"Think he'll really do it?" Megan asked. Don and Charlie nodded.

"Where did Ash go?" everyone looked around.

"I do believe she reached the balcony," Larry pointed to the open sliding door.

"I'll go," Colby volunteered. He got up and walked over to the door, leaving the others to their whispers.

"Ash?" Colby asked softly. Ashlynn was sitting on the ground in the corner, crying. When she saw Colby come out, she wiped her tears away hurriedly. "Are you…"

"I didn't kill him!" She shouted. Colby closed the doors behind him. "I didn't…I wasn't even home…" she was shaking. Colby rushed to her side and wrapped his arms around her.

"Danny was four..." She said softly. "About a year after Mom died…Kyle," she took in a deep breath, "Kyle had just told me that he was sick, really sick, but he wouldn't tell me what with." Ashlynn wiped at her eyes again, but the essence of tears were still there. "Ky had gotten really depressed after that. He had trouble eating, sleeping; his school work was dropping…" Ash shook her head. "Then, one night, he told me to take Danny and leave. 'Go see a movie' he said. I didn't want to, it didn't feel right, but I did." Ashlynn stood up and walked to the other side, facing Colby with her arms crossed and looking at her feet. "We were only gone for a couple hours, when I came back…" she began to sob again. "When I came back, the police were covering the lawn in front of the apartment building." She began to cry again. Colby jumped up and ran over to the brunette. He cupped her face and wiped her tears away with his thumbs.

"Shh," he said. "Shh, it's okay Ash," he whispered calmly. "Your going to have to stay somewhere else and lie low a couple of days, until we can figure it all out. Alright?" Ashlynn could only nod. "If it's okay, you and Danny can stay with me, I have plenty of room," Again, Ashlynn nodded. She reached out and hugged Colby tightly.

This couldn't be happening again.


	8. Investigating

**Chapter 8-Investigating **

Later that day, after it was officially decided that Ash and Danny would crash in Colby's apartment for a couple of days, and Charlie would stay with Amita, (Alan was still in Sacramento and Don's apartment was a little trashed) Colby, David, Megan and Don opened the case file for Kyle Mecosta.

"Looks like an open and shut case," said David, flipping through the scene description. "Clean; overdose on prescription medication."

"What was he sick with?" Megan asked.

"Don't know, Kyle wouldn't tell Ash," Don remembered.

"AZT," Colby said, looking into a medical file. "Kyle had a permanent prescription for AZT." He looked up at his collogues, "What's AZT?"

"Don't know…" Don picked up his cell phone, "Hey Charlie what's up?"

"_Hey Don, I was going through a handwriting analysis of Kyle's suicide letter; it matches his writing, he wrote it himself…_"

"Yea doesn't mean he killed himself though," Don replied, speaking out of experience. "Hey, Chuck, do you know what AZT is a prescription for?"

"_No, I don't hold on…_" Don heard Charlie ask someone in the background and then Larry's voice came in.

"_Don, I do believe AZT is a part of a three step medication prescribed for HIV or most of the time AIDS…_"

"Oh, alright, thanks guys…" Don said and hung up, a somewhat shocked look on his face.

"What is it?" Megan asked.

"Kyle may have had AIDS…" Don said slowly. The four federal agents looked at each other, surprised.

"We should call Ash…see if she knew…if she and Danny got tested…" David said quietly. Suddenly, Colby's phone rang.

"Speak of the Devil…" Colby said, answering his phone. "Ash, what's up?"

"_Help…_" (Click)

"Ash? Ashlynn? Hello?" Colby looked at Don, scared.

"What did she say?" Don asked.

"She said help…"

"Let's go!" And the four ran out the door.


	9. Attack

**Chapter 9-Attack**

Megan, David, Don, and Colby rushed through Colby's apartment building. They ran up the stairs two at a time and their hearts only began to beat faster when they saw that Colby's door was kicked in.

"Ashlynn? Danny? Anybody?" they called as they walked in, guns drawn.

"Don!" Megan called out. "I found her!" the four feds ran into the guest bedroom and found Megan checking Ashlynn for a pulse. "She's okay, just unconscious." Everyone sighed in relief.

"Where's Danny?" Don asked, looking around the room for his nephew.

"Took…him…" a small voice coughed. David knelt down and helped Ash as she tried to sit up.

"Ash?" Colby said. "Who took him?" but she just shook her head.

"An ambulance is coming, they'll be outside in 5 minutes." Don said. "Cummon kiddo," Don slowly scooped up his baby sister and the four walked down the staris and outside.

* * *

At the hospital, Don had called Charlie and Alan, who both (along with Amita and Larry) arrived within the hour. For the next three hours, they paced back and forth in the hospital waiting room, not hearing anything about Ashlynn.

"Did you start an investigation on Danny's kidnappers?" Alan asked from his chair. Don nodded.

"I called it in, if they have any information, they'll call," the oldest brother Eppes stated, continuing his pacing. Across the room, Larry and Megan were sitting quietly.

"She's been here less than a month…" Megan said sadly. "…I hope she'll be alright."

"I remember meeting Ashlynn," Larry reminisced. "back when Charles was in Princeton in his first year. The entire family had come up to visit for a weekend. She was quite an interesting and complex human being; always a part of the conversation-which was surprising being that she was only ten years old. It was funny, no matter how composite and complicated a problem would be, Ashlynn would add her two-cents; an amount of common sense that would make anyone listening stop and think about they had been saying." Larry chuckled and took Megan's hand. "I promise you my dear, Ashlynn Eppes will be just fine." Megan smiled at Larry and laid her head on his shoulder.

A couple seats over, Amita and Charlie were watching Don pace. "Charlie…"

"I don't want to talk Amita…" Charlie interrupted. The young woman sighed.

"Charlie, it'll make you feel better…"

"No it won't!"

"Ash wouldn't want you to keep it all bottled up. She's going to be a psychologist; she knows how bad that is…" Charlie laughed hallowly.

"She's my little sister Amita, I'm supposed to watch out for her…I…I let her down…" a tear dropped from the math geniuses eyes.

"Oh Charlie," Amita held onto her boyfriend as he cried silently. "it'll all be fine…"

Just then, a doctor came out of the back. "Ashlynn Eppes?" Don, Charlie, and Alan all stood up on opposite sides of the room. "Did you guys all take over the waiting room?" Don looked around and laughed; all eight of them were sitting in separate parts of the room.

"How is she Doctor?" Alan asked, grasping onto Don's shoulder.

"She was touch and go for some time, but she pulled through in the end. We found a severe head injury, and she just came out of the MRI; which showed no internal bleeding."

"So she's going to be okay?" asked Colby, saying his first words since arriving to the hospital.

"Yes, Ashlynn…"

"Ash," all eight corrected the Doctor.

"Ash…is going to be fine." The n the doctor turned to Don. "We also checked for what you told us to look for, and everything was negative, Agent Eppes."

"Thanks," Don nodded.

"When can we see her?" Charlie asked eagerly.

"Soon, we're finishing her final check up and then I'm sure she'd be happy to see her family and friends." and with that, the doctor turned around and walked down the hall. Everyone just stood there for a moment, silent, before the 3 Eppes' collapsed into the chairs behind them.

Ashlynn was going to be okay.

But what about Danny?


	10. Father to Son Talks

**Chapter 10- Father to Son Talks**

Don woke up in between Charlie and his dad on the small couch in Ash's room. It was dark outside and the only light source was from his phone that was vibrating on the table.

"Eppes," he whispered. Colby's voice came through the ear piece.

"_Hey Don; we might have a lead on Danny's kidnapper. His finger prints were all over my apartment…_" Colby said slowly, as if reading off a file.

"Hmm, let me guess, Mark Mecosta?" Don said knowingly.

"I thought so too, but it's not; it's close though; Trevor Mecosta, Kyle's little brother. He's about 18, goes to school at UCLA, we're about to go get him now…" Colby said.

"Good job Granger," Don said quietly, standing up and moving toward the door.

"How is she?" Colby asked after a few minutes of silent.

"No difference since you guys left I guess," Don answered.

"Oh, that's good…" Don had to smirk at this.

"You like her," Don teased, laughing into the phone.

"_Shut up, I don't!_" Colby said, sounding annoyed.

"Do to!" Don argued.

"_Do not!_"

"What are you guys? Eight?" Alan called from the hospital room.

"Fine, whatever Granger, call me when you get Mecosta, all right? I want to be there for the interview." Don said.

"Alright boss, I'll call," Colby said with amusement in his voice. "And by the way," he added, "Do not!" and he hung up quickly before Don could understand.

"Any word on Danny?" Alan asked as he joined his oldest child out in the hall.

"Yea, remember Kyle?" Don asked.

"Danny's father? Yea I remember meeting him when he was born, that boy was so nervous," Alan reminisced, chuckling. "He died though, didn't he? I remember Ashlynn being a wreck afterwards…"

"Yea, yea, he killed himself after finding out that he was HIV positive," Alan's eyebrows raised. "Ash doesn't know and she doesn't have it, neither does Danny apparently. Kyle had him tested. Anyway, Mark, Kyle's dad, thinks Ash killed his son, and so does his little brother Trevor, their prints were at Colby's apartment…"

"What was Ashlynn doing at Colby's apartment?" Alan asked confused.

"Oh, Mark came to work and the two were fighting, Colby said that she and Danny could stay with him until everything was sorted out…" Don recapped the previous day. The two Eppes men were silent for a moment, taking in the silence of the hospital and the simple rhythm of the EKG machine. "How is she?" Don asked quietly.

"She'll be okay; she's just in shock now; her son being kidnapped and all…" Alan looked at his daughter, but wasn't really focused. "She's so much like her mother." Alan said.

"Yea, she is…" Don said. There was more silence. "I miss her."

"Ashlynn? She's right here…" Alan said. "Oh, oh you mean you mother."

"Yea, I missed Ash too, don't get me wrong…but…I don't know, it feels strange…this is the first time she's been back in LA since…"

"Since your mother died," Alan finished.

"Yea, and all this shit happens to her, and…it's almost like a bad omen, you know? Like she's not supposed to come back-which isn't fair, cuz I want her back…" Don's face tightened.

"It's okay Donny, everything is going to turn out for the better," Alan said, placing his hand on his son's shoulder protectively.

"She's my little sister, I'm supposed to protect her…"

"What are you going to do? Cover the world in bubble wrap? You cant Donny, I tried with you, and I tried with Charlie, and I tried with Ashlynn; but I think all along I knew that after some point, you three needed to go out into the world and learn by yourself…"

"Are you saying this is supposed to happen?" Don asked skeptically.

"No, I'm saying that yes, you are her older brother, but you can't protect her from everything, only the things she comes to you for…" Don nodded in understanding. But the father-son moment was spoiled by Don's phone.

"They have Mecosta, I have to go Dad; call me if there's a difference?" Alan nodded. Don went in the room and ruffled his brother's hair. Then he walked over to Ash's bed and kissed her forehead. "I'll find Danny," he whispered. "I promise."


	11. Finding Danny

**So, I'm completely furious at CBS for the Numb3rs finale, and I refuse to believe that Colby would do such a thing! So, I have made it my goal to let it **_**not**_** affect my writing. So Enjoy!**

**Chapter 11- Finding Danny**

"Where's Danny, Trevor?" Don slammed his fist on the desk.

"Danny? My nephew? Is he alright?" Trevor asked, looking concerned.

"I don't know, why don't you tell me?" Don said angrily. He could feel his temper rising.

"Why would I have Danny? He's at Stanford with my brother and his girlfriend Ashlynn…" Trevor said. "Kid's the sweetest thing, about, four now…" Don looked at Trevor, completely astounded.

"Trevor…what year is it?" Don asked.

"2005, why? Don't you have a calendar?" Trevor asked.

"Excuse me," Don said. He stood up and walked out of the interrogation room. "Megan?" Don looked to his partner for an answer.

"I don't think he could have done it Don; Trevor's delusional, he thinks his brother is still alive, that Danny is safe, that they are all in school…"

"I think he's a lying son of a…"

"Then how'd his prints get there?" David interrupted Colby's remark. They shrugged.

"Let me try…" Megan said, entering the room. Trevor looked up at the new agent that was interrogating him. "Hi," she said kindly. "I'm Megan Reeves," Trevor took her outstretched hand.

"Trevor Mecosta," he said.

"Trevor, what did you do yesterday?" Trevor seemed to be in a thoughtful silence. "Do you remember?"

"Dad and I went out to lunch after he stopped by the FBI building; he seemed mad, he said. 'there's no respect in law enforcement'…then after lunch…we drove to another building, it was a…"

"An apartment building?" Megan asked.

"Yes; dad took me inside and broke the door…he said it was already broken. Then he said take the boy to the car, and he'd take care of the mother…"

"Trevor, where did you and your dad bring the boy?" Megan was getting eager.

"Our hotel room…" Trevor said in a 'no-duh' manor. "The Best Western, room 315, second floor, 3 flights of stairs, next to the vending machine." Don, Colby, and David then bolted for the door.

* * *

"Room 312, 313, 314…here, 315!" David said as they reached the door. Don caught up and knocked.

"This is the FBI, open up!" he called. No answer. Don gave the signal and they broke down the door. No one.

"Look around," Colby said. They checked the bathroom, and under the bed. No sign of Danny or Mark. "Do you guys hear that?" Colby asked. They stayed quiet. The was soft banging coming from the closet.

"Danny?" Don asked, opening the closet. No one. Just a couple jackets, the safe, an ironing board…

The safe! Don knocked on the large metal box. "Daniel?" a small thud came from inside.

"Shit! He's locked in there!" David said. With out another word, he pulled a wire coat hanger off the shelf and picked at the lock with the hook. When it made a satisfying click, Don let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Uncle Donny?" Danny said quietly. He seemed to be shoved in there and Don pulled his nephew out delectably.

"I'll get the paramedics up here…" Colby said after noticing a gash in the small boy's head and a small pool of blood at the bottom of the safe.

"Danny, it's going to be okay…" Don said, holding a towel tight on his forehead and rocking him back and forth. "Just stay awake…it's going to be okay…just stay awake…"

Just stay awake.

* * *

Paramedics rushed Danny into the ER and told Don, Colby, and David to wait in the waiting room. The told the nurse to find them in Ashlynn's hospital room, and that's where they headed.

"Where is he?" was the first thing Ashlynn said as the three men walked in the door. Both David and Colby turned to Don. "Donny, where is Daniel?" Ash asked, panicked now. Don went over and sat on the edge of his sister's bed.

"We found him, in Mark and Trevor Mecosta's hotel room," Don said. Ash sighed slightly before noticing that there was more. "Ash…Mark shoved Danny in the room safe, literally crushed him and locked the door…He's in surgery now, but he was losing a lot of blood…" Don hated this part when he was telling complete strangers. It tore him up to see the look of horror on his baby sister's face.

"Is he going to be okay Donny?" Alan asked. Just then, the same nurse from the ER came in.

"Daniel Eppes' family?"

* * *

**Sorry about the cliffy!**

**Was wondering, where the hell was Liz for all of this, huh? I don't even think she was in the last episode. **

**REVIEW!**


	12. Need

"_Is he going to be okay Donny?" Alan asked. Just then, the same nurse from the ER came in._

"_Daniel Eppes' family?"_

**Chapter 12- Need**

"I'm his mother," Ashlynn said, her voice shaking harder than it ever had before. She sat up so fast that it startled everyone in the room.

"I'm Dr. Baytes, I've been in the operating room with Daniel," she introduced herself.

"How is he?" Alan asked again, squeezing his daughter's shoulder.

"He lost a lot of blood before you brought him in," Baytes said. "Was he found in a small space by any chance?"

"A safe," David answered, "Why?"

"It make's sense; Daniel had several broken and bruised bones, a punctured lung, and several other major injuries. He's in ICU right now and is on a breathing ventilator…I'm very sorry Ms. Eppes." Ash didn't reply, but sat in shock.

"Thank you Dr. Baytes," Larry answered for her. "Please keep us informed when you can."

"I will," and she left. There was complete silence in the room where all eyes are focused on Ashlynn until she spoke.

"I want to be alone," she said quietly. The Eppes's knew better than to argue with her and led everyone out.

"You guys all head home and get some rest," Alan said to the rest of the group. They all nodded half heartedly.

"Mr. Eppes, I can stay here if you want to head home too. My apartment is still a crime scene an all…" Colby offered. Alan placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks Colby, keep us posted?" Colby nodded and everyone said their goodbyes. Colby sat in one of the hard plastic chairs for about an hour before he remembered his jacket was in Ashlynn's room. Hoping she was asleep, he headed to the room.

She was lying on her side, facing away from the door, so Colby's initial reaction was that she was asleep. It wasn't until he got closer did her hear the sobs from the frightened woman. "Ashlynn?" he said quietly. She jumped a bit, not hearing him come in. Colby sat on the side of the bed and she sat up, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Its okay Ash," he said, hugging her tight.

"I'm so scared Colby," she whispered into his chest as he held her close. They sat in silence for a moment before Ash looked up. "Can I see him?" she asked.

"What?"

"Can I see my son?"

"Okay," Colby helped her into a wheel chair a nurse had left for her. He quietly drove the chair down the hall and into the elevator. While waiting to reach the pediatric level, Ashlynn reached back and held one of Colby's hands. He squeezed tight, reassuringly and used one hand to steer the chair down to ICU.

Together they stood in front of a glass window, looking in on a small boy that Ashlynn would never believe was her son. He looked so small; so helpless. Wires consumed his body and connected to fluids and monitors. Ash shook violently and then grabbed onto Colby to keep herself from collapsing.

"He's so small," she whispered. Her voice shook, but Colby saw no tears. "So helpless…"

"He'll be okay," Colby reassured her.

"NO! I'm helpless; I can't help my son Colby. There is nothing I can do to protect him…" With that she cried. Colby just held tight and patted the young brunettes back. He watched the monitor beep peacefully.

"Come on Danny, you can do this kid," he whispered so softly that Ashlynn couldn't hear. "Do it for your mom, she needs you."


	13. Card Reports

**Chapter 13- Card Reports **

Three days later and nothing had changed. Ashlynn had been discharged but she hadn't left the hospital. Charlie and Alan had both tried to send her home for some rest, but she had refused, choosing to sit beside Danny in the hospital.

Meanwhile, the FBI was heading nowhere on finding Mark Mecosta.

"Trevor's no help," Megan sighed, sitting at her desk. "He has no idea what's going on and he's demanding that he call his brother…"

"You didn't tell him Kyle's dead?" Colby asked.

"I didn't have the heart," Megan said. Just then Amita, Charlie, and Larry walked in.

"Hey guys," David greeted them.

"How's Ash?" Don asked.

"Dad's with her, she hasn't moved since I last saw her. I don't think she's eaten either to tell you the truth…" Charlie trailed off.

"She'll be okay…" Don said rather sure of himself. "She was like this after Kyle died too." Charlie nodded.

"Why are you so quiet over there?" David turned to Colby's desk.

"Credit card reports…" he said. "Something isn't right here," Colby printed out the report and handed it to the others.

"What do you mean?" Megan asked.

"Yea Colby, they're just normal reports," Don added.

"Oh, right, I completely forgot it was normal for a dead guy to use his credit card," Colby rolled his eyes.

"What?" Everyone said together, all looking at the reports in the agents' hands.

"Told you something wasn't right…" Colby took his own report and highlighted certain lines. "These are all purchases made by Kyle Mecosta's credit card this month…"

"How long has he been using Kyle's credit card?" Megan asked.

"About two and a half years," Colby replied. "This makes sence. Apparently, Kyle filed a police report against his father around the same time."

"Why?" David asked.

"Because he threatened to kill me…" Ashlynn said quietly from the doorway. Everyone turned to the brunette who seemed dazed and tired.

"Hey Ash," Don said cautiously. She acted as if she didn't hear him.

"Danny was about a year old…" Ashlynn started. "And it was right after Kyle learned that he had HIV…course he didn't tell me he had HIV, just said he was sick…anyway, he told Mark and he flipped. Mark came storming out of the room he and Kyle were in and he pinned me against the wall. Mark put his hands on my throat and chocked me. Kyle hit his dad over the head with one of my school books. He fell, took Kyle's wallet, and ran. I didn't see him again until the funeral." Ash sat in one of the desk chairs and folded her hands.

"Ash…:" Charlie sat beside his baby sister. "How are you?"

"Dad's with Danny," she sidetracked. "He's doing better, breathing on his own…"

"That's great Ashlynn," Colby smiled putting his hand on her shoulder. Ashlynn nodded.

"The credit card reports?" she sidetracked again. "What's the last purchase Mark made?"

"Uh, um…" Don stuttered for a moment. "Um…oh, crap…"

"What?" Megan asked, checking the form.

"Would anyone care to fill us in?" Amita, Charlie, and Larry said from the sidelines.

"Mark Mecosta's last purchase was an airplane ticket," David clarified.

"When? Where too?" Charlie asked.

"Morocco," Colby read from his computer. "In an hour."

Don stood up and grabbed his jacket, "Let's go!"

* * *

**I'm horrible I know, I've been so busy and Sophomore year is a pain, and I got captain for the volleyball team and every time I sit down to write my brother makes me do some meaningless chore. That and I'm going insane.**

**Other than that, I have no excuse for this being posted so late.**

**Peace (Ashley)**


	14. Catching the Bad Guys

**I'm sorry I'm a bad updater, I've just been so caught up in school and sports and moving and I didn't want to take it out on the stories and make them bad so I took my time and wrote this during study hall while Ms. Benin thought it was my English essay, so HA! I defied a teacher just for all of you!

* * *

**

**Chapter 14- Catching the Bad Guys**

Don insisted on Charlie bringing Ashlynn back to the hospital to sit with Danny.

"Like hell I'm going to the hospital again!" Ash yelled as the others worked on a quick plan of attack. "I'm going with you guys; I want a piece of Mecosta for myself."

"Ash, please," Don begged. "Please just go back to the hospital with Charlie…"

"No!" Ash yelled again, making Don jump slightly. Don dealt with murderers and serial killers and pedophiles everyday and it hardly scarred him. But pissing off Ashlynn Eppes was like going into a lion's den covered in meat. It wasn't a very smart move at all.

"Ash…"

"This guy has been messing with me since I graduated _high school_ Don…" Ashlynn said, a little bit quieter. "I can't let him…"

"Ash, you're an English teacher…" Don said, putting his hands on his baby sister's shoulders. "I'm the FBI Agent. I know, I _know_ you want Mecosta behind bars, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do. But I cant focus on doing that if I'm focusing on my little sister and wondering if she's gonna get herself hurt or not…" Ashlynn looked down at her shoes and Don sighed. "I almost lost my nephew this week kiddo, and we've already lost Mom, I can't lose you too, Ashlynn, I just can't," that was the money breaker. Ashlynn nodded and gave her brother a tight hug.

"Okay," she finally said. "Be safe…" she said, then walked over to the others. "Good luck you guys," she said and began to walk out with Charlie and Amita. Larry had taken his own car back to CalSci.

"Hey Ash!" Ashlynn stopped and turned on her heals. "We'll save a piece of him with your name on it, okay?" Colby winked and Ash smiled widely. Then she turned back and caught up with Charlie as he got in the elevator.

* * *

"Back so soon?" Alan said as Charlie, Amita, and Ashlynn entered the waiting room. "I was just about to call you…"

"Why!" Ash interrupted. "What happened, is he okay…"

"Ashlynn, sweetie, he's fine…Danny's awake and he's looking for you," Ash ran into Danny's room where the six year old happened to be sitting up in his bed watching Scooby-Doo on the TV.

"Daniel!" Ash squealed running over to her son and hugging him tight.

"_Mmmnnn_!" groaned a very agitated Danny. Didn't his mother know she was interrupting TV!?

"Oh thank god you're okay," Ash smiled, "You _are _okay right?" Danny just shrugged and turned back to the show. Ash turned to her father who was in the doorway. "He _is_ going to be okay right Dad?"

"They want your consent to talk to a psych consult about what happened with Mecosta…" Alan said quietly. "He really hasn't said anything except for asking to eat and watch TV. Everything else is an emotionless shrug."

Ash shook her head. Her poor baby. She expected having to raise an emotionless and dejected Danny, but not now. She was hoping for another ten or so years of goofy baby Danny first.

"Yea, of course I'll consent…" she mumbled going to sit with her son and holding his little hand. As Ash went to sit down, Alan turned to the two mathematicians waiting off to the side.

"So where's everyone else?" Alan asked.

"Colby found credit card reports leading them to Mecosta, so they went to arrest him," Amita answered. Charlie was looking off to the side, not really focused on his sister and his nephew nor his father and girlfriend. "Charlie, you okay?"

"I feel like there should have been something I could have done….should have done…" Alan went to his son and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Charlie, there is no way, mathematically or otherwise, that could have shown us that anything like this would happen…" Charlie nodded and hugged his father before going to sit with Amita and Ashlynn.

At least Danny was okay.

* * *

"I'm sorry sir," said a nervous looking flight attendant. "But it looks as if your boarding pass isn't valid…" Mark Mecosta banged his fist on the desk, startling the attendant.

"God damnit, I know the pass is fucking valid!" he yelled, making the woman's eyes grow wider. "Let me see the damned computer…"

"I'm sorry I can't let you do that sir…" but that just made Mark angrier. The attendant was about to cry, but remembered her job and took a deep breath. _Think Andrea, the FBI wanted you to stall him_… "Why don't I see what I can do to help you sir…" that seemed to satisfy him and he went to sit down. Just then, another person walked up to the desk.

"Flight 113 to Morocco?" the man asked, placing a pass on the table. Andrea the flight attendant opened the pass and saw and FBI badge inside. She leaned over close and whispered.

"Are you Agent Sinclair?" she asked. David nodded and she sat back.

"He's over there…" she pointed to the fuming man facing the window.

"Thanks, now just walk into the bathroom or something, just get away from here and don't look back okay?" she nodded, grabbed her purse and went at a near sprint toward the opposite end of the airport. David then took back his badge and went to sit with his back to Mecosta. Just then, Don and Megan walked into the terminal and stood by the check in desk, both eying Mecosta. When everyone was in position and enough people were away from Mecosta for safety reasons, Colby took his cue to go and sit right next to Mecosta. They glanced at each other, but then both turned away. Luckily, Mark didn't recognize Colby from his day at the FBI. Colby took a deep breath before beginning.

"Mark Mecosta," the man turned and looked sharply at Colby. "You're under arrest for…" but Colby couldn't get past that part for Mecosta attacked him. David, Don, and Megan all ran in to help Colby, along with two civilians. Megan and David tried to pull the two vigilantes away, leaving Don and Colby to fight with Mecosta. Suddenly, Mark grabbed Don's gun out of its holster and fired thrice.

The world seemed to stop for the agents as they all watched their friend fly through the window and fall downwards toward the runway below. Even Mecosta froze as he saw what he had done.

"Oh no!" Megan yelled, momentarily forgetting Mecosta. "Don!"

* * *

**And here is where I leave you. Reviews inspire me!**


	15. Teamwork

**I could give you a list of reasons as to why this hasn't been updated in a year, but really, I'm sure you'd much rather read the next chapter. So I will oblige.**

Chapter 15- Teamwork

The momentary lapse in movement gave David the opportunity to take hold of Mecosta. Megan ran to the window, now just a wall with broken glass fragments, and looked over to the edge where Don had fallen.

But he wasn't there. Don's body was not lying on the pavement 50 feet below them. Then Megan panicked. _Where's Don?_

"Megan!" She heard someone call weakly. Megan looked around wildly. Then she looked down below the window. There was Don, nearly limp, his arm caught in a piece of the building. His face was bloodied and his eyes were closed. Megan was sure that if the arm that was keeping Don from plummeting to the ground wasn't stuck there, Don wouldn't have the strength to hold on for dear life.

"Don, don't worry we're coming!" Megan called out. She couldn't reach him from the window, her hand barely brushed the arm stuck in the building. She looked behind her. There were FBI agents on Mecosta, including David. Colby was off to the side, he was clutching his arm with a look of pain on his face. "Colby," Megan called out. Colby looked up and caught Megan's eye. He ran over to her. Megan saw a make-shift bandage covering Colby's right bicep.

"Bastard shot me," Colby laughed hallowly. "And I was being polite…"

"Colby, Don's stuck," Megan interrupted him. Colby looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she pointed over the edge to where Don was.

"Shit," Colby said under his breath. "Don't worry Don, we're coming," he called out. Then he turned back to Megan. "How fast can a rescue team get here?"

"I'm not sure," she answered. "I don't know how long he'll last hanging there," Colby nodded and Megan could tell he was thinking.

"David," Colby called. David looked up and then joined the other two at the window. After showing David Don, the three agreed that they had to get him up as soon as possible. Together, the three FBI agents hung over the empty window sill, supporting each other while also reaching for Don.

Colby, who could only reach with one arm, was closest to Don. "Don," Colby called out. "Don can you hear me?" he heard a groan. "Great, Don I need you to try and pull yourself up just a little bit, okay?" another groan.

"I don't think he can," Megan whispered.

"He can," Colby said, determination in his voice. "Come on Don, just a little bit,"

"Yea, come on Don," the other two chimed in. Colby saw the muscles in Don's caught arm tighten as he tried to pull himself up. Colby reached, and finally, his fingers grabbed onto the collar of his shirt.

"Got him," Colby called out as he pulled Don up enough so that Megan and David could help pull Don through.

"Oh my god…" Megan whispered as they lied Don on the ground. He was a mess to say the least.

David called out to the cops behind him that were dealing with Mecosta. "Get the paramedics! NOW!"

* * *

Ash and Danny were lying on Danny's hospital bed. Danny Phantom was playing on the TV and Danny Eppes sat up watching while his mother had passed out, holding her son close. Amita had fallen asleep as well, her head resting on Charlie's shoulder. Alan had decided that the hospital room was too stuffy, and he'd gone out for a walk.

Danny had spent the last half hour with Dr. Saroyan, she asked him a lot of questions about what had happened in the hotel room. But Danny would only reply in shaking his head, he didn't want to talk about it. He just wanted to sit with Mommy and watch cartoons.

He hadn't spoken in 16 hours.

"Danny, you hungry?" Charlie asked his nephew when he finished flipping through the magazine he had flipped through a million times that day. Danny shook his head. The TV show he was watching finished and Danny decided to watch his feet as he pointed and flexed them. Charlie watched the boy curiously.

"Uncle Charlie," Charlie almost missed it, the boy's voice was so small. He looked over at his nephew, who was still watching his feet and Charlie wondered if he had imagined the voice until he spoke again. "Uncle Charlie," Danny said a little louder this time.

"Yea Danny?" Charlie asked. Danny paused for a long time, apparently thinking through what he wanted to say.

"Am I bad?" Danny asked. Charlie looked at the little boy in confusion.

"What?" Charlie asked, his voice showing his disbelief in what Danny was asking.

"'Cause if I was bad, I guess I understand why he was so mean to me…" Danny's feet stopped. "But I didn't know I was bad…" His lip quivered and Charlie, while still balancing a sleeping Amita on his shoulder, reached out and grabbed Danny off the bed lightly, so as not to hurt the boy's already injured ribs. Danny sat on Charlie's lap and cried into his uncle's shoulder.

"Shh," Charlie said, rocking Danny back and forth. "It's not your fault Danny, you're a great kid…" Charlie said. The boy sniffed and looked up to his uncle.

"Really?" Danny asked.

"I promise," Charlie said. Danny nodded and lied his head on Charlie's shoulder, facing the TV so he could watch Spongebob on the TV. Charlie kissed the top of Danny's head and smiled. He liked that he could help out his nephew like that.

"That was sweet," Charlie heard a voice from his shoulder.

"I didn't mean to wake you," Charlie said to Amita, blushing.

"It's okay," Amita replied. She sat up and stretched. She rubbed the top of Danny's head. He seemed not to notice while watching TV. "Poor thing…" she said.

"Yea, poor kid." Charlie repeated. Just then, Alan came up to the room and slammed through, breathing heavily as if he had been running. His entrance woke Ashlynn up, and she sat straight up. Danny suddenly got frightened and turned to put his face into Charlie's shoulder, his small hand gripping the fabric of Charlie's shirt.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Ash asked.

"I just got a call from Megan," He said, breathing heavily. Ash got up off the bed and offered her dad a seat. But he refused. Ash wondered if Mecosta got away. What if he was coming back to the hospital?...

"They arrested Mark Mecosta," Alan said after gaining his breathing back.

"Then what's wrong?" Ash asked anxiously. Alan then sat on the bed.

"It's your brother," Alan said. "It's Don…"


	16. Recovery

Chapter 16 – Recovery

Ash just couldn't catch a break these days. The team had suddenly been gathered in the waiting room, again, and Ashlynn had to deal with pacing back and forth between Danny's hotel room and the waiting room. Everyone was on edge about Don, there was no word on how he was doing and Ashlynn was ringing her fingers together. When she did sit, she was next to Charlie, her knees bouncing and hands shaking. Her brother reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Thanks," Ash said. Charlie simply nodded. They sat quietly for a moment, but Charlie could see that his sister was restless.

"It'll be okay Ash," Charlie said. "Don's tough, he'll be just fine." He reassured her. Charlie was surprised that his own words were convincing him as well.

"I should check on Danny…" Ash said, starting to get up.

"He's asleep, I just walked by there," Colby said, coming around the corner from Danny's hospital room. He had an ACE bandage wrapped around his forearm covering a cut from the broken window at the airport. Ashlynn stared at it for a bit. Then she tried a new ploy to get away.

"I…I need something…something to eat, yea…" Ash said. She stood up that time and walked a bit before stopping. "Let me know if any news comes back, or if Danny wakes up," she said to no one in particular. The she walked around the corner, and then out of sight of her friends and family, she sprinted for the front door.

"Ashlynn!" She heard someone call after her once she reached the parking lot of the hospital. She spun around.

"Don't call me that…" she said sharply, only to look up and see Colby running after her. "Oh…sorry Colby…" She said sheepishly. Ash now felt awkward and was looking around for something, anything so she wouldn't look at Colby. "This is all my fault." She said, so quietly that Colby thought he misheard her.

"What?" Colby asked. "No, Ash, no, it's not your fault."

"Yes it is!" Ash yelled. "If I hadn't come bacl…"

"Mecosta still would have found you, he still would have found Danny, and you wouldn't of had us there to help. You wouldn't have your brothers, or your dad, or the team, or…or me…" Colby looked up at a sheepish Ash and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her. To his surprise, she hugged him back, squeezing him tight.

"And what would I do without you Granger," Ash said into his shoulder.

"Good thing we don't have to find out," Colby said. "Now come on," He said, taking her hand and leading her back to the waiting room.

"I can't go in there," Ash said. "Not yet, not until I know how Don…if Don…" Her hands began to tremble.

"Okay," Colby said. "Then let's just sit here," he pointed to a bench by the front doors to the hospital room. Ash nodded and they sat down. Her hand was still in his and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I'm not usually like this," Ash said. "I'm not usually scared of anything."

"I know, I met you before all this happened," Colby said.

"I just don't like hospitals…" Ash said. "I spent too much time in them over the years…"

"Everything is going to be fine Ash," Colby said, squeezing her hand. Just then, Colby's cell rang. "Granger," he answered. "Okay, yea, I have her, we'll be up in a second," he hung up the phone.

"Danny or Don?" Ash asked when Colby hung up.

"Danny's fine, but the Doctors are waiting on you and me to tell us about Don," Colby said.

"Let's go," Ash said, and she jumped up, dragging Colby along behind her.

* * *

"How is he?" Ash asked as she and Colby ran into the waiting room. The group was huddled around a very intimidated looking doctor.

"Agent Eppes spent about an hour in surgery. No major arteries or organs were harmed. He lost a lot of blood, but we have him hooked up to our emergency blood supply." She read off the chart. "All in all, he's doing great, and it'll be a long while, but we expect a full recovery." A sigh of relief came from everyone in the room.

"Can we see him?" Charlie asked.

"Yes, I see no problem with that…" The doctor looked around at everyone. "I would say only a few at a time, but I have a feeling you're all just going to ignore that rule, aren't you."

"Yea, sorry about that," David said, making the group laugh.

"That's fine, just make sure he stays RELAXED, he needs his rest," The Doctor said.

"Aye aye," Ashlynn said. The doctor nodded and then began to turn away.

"Oh one more thing," the doctor said, "Ms. Eppes?" Ashlynn looked up.

"yes?" Ash asked, suddenly feeling like she was in trouble for something.

"Your son's doctor told me to tell you. Your son's been asking for you for a while now." Ashlynn looked up in shock.

"Asking for me? Out loud?" Ash asked. The doctor nodded and Ash ran past everyone to Danny's room.

"Mom!" Danny called. Ash just stood in the doorway, her face a mix of overwhelming joy and overwhelming shock. "Mom, there you are, I'm hungry…" Danny said. Ashlynn just laughed.

"Okay," she said, tears in her eyes. "Okay, we'll get you something to eat." She ran over to her son and hugged him closely, crying more.

"Mom, you're weird…" Danny said. He looked over in the door way. "Hi Uncle Charlie, hi everyone," Danny said.

"We're going to see Don, you want to come?" Alan asked his grandson.

"Can I?" Danny asked his mother. Ashlynn, still crying, simply nodded and wiped tears from her eyes. "Mom stop crying, everything is okay," Danny said, wiping his mother's face, making Ash laugh.

"Come on Kiddo," Charlie said, picking up his nephew piggy-back style.

"Oh be careful Charlie," Ash warned her brother as the gang followed behind.

* * *

"And how did I know you'd be my first visitor?" Don asked his nephew as Danny crawled onto Don's hospital bed.

"Cause I'm the favorite," Danny said, making everyone laugh.

"Hey guys," Don said, smiling wide at the site of his friends and family.

"Hey Don," Megan smiled. "You're looking good."

"Don't lie Reeves, he looks like crap," Colby said, making Don laugh.

"Knew I could count on you Colby," Don laughed. Ashlynn picked Danny up off of Don's bed and kissed her brother's forehead.

"How you doing Donnie?" Ash asked.

"Feel like I fell out a window and got shot a couple of times." Don said. "Nothing I can't handle."

"oh Donnie, such the superhero," Alan laughed.

"You got _shot_ Uncle Don? Did it hurt? Did you get to keep the bullet?" Danny asked excitedly.

"Oh here we go," Ash laughed. "Now that's ALL he's going to talk about forever," she smiled though.

"At least he's talking," Colby whispered to Ash, voicing her thoughts. She nodded and reached back, taking Colby's hand in hers. The gesture was noticed by Charlie, who nudged Amita.

"Bet's still not over," Amita whispered, making the two laugh.

"Hey, what are you two giggling about back there?" Megan asked curiously.

"Oh nothing!" Amita laughed.


	17. Celebration

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post. Not just this but all my stories. There have been a lot of changes in my life and I want to thank all those who are faithful to my writing. Whenever I'm in doubt, I read your reviews, and they make me realize how I need to continue and move forward.

You guys rock!

-Ace

Chapter 17- Celebrate

Danny was in the hospital a couple more days; Don, a week and a half. Charlie, Ash, Alan and the rest of the team had put the house together for Don's "Welcome Home/Happy Birthday" party.

"Come on Donnie," Ash said, one arm around her brother as she helped him out of her car and up the walk way. It took them a while, the doctors said that Don would be sore for a week or two, but the medicine they gave him would defiantly keep him from feeling most of it.

At the door way, Danny stood bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Hurry up Uncle Don!" he jumped around. He ran around the porch excitedly.

"He's been asking when you'll be coming home for a week now," Ashlynn smiled.

"Uncle Don! You're going too slow!" Danny ran toward Don and grabbed his hand, pulling him to Charlie's house faster. Ash noticed Don wince slightly in pain, but he didn't say anything. Eventually (according to Danny it took them a zillion years) they reached the house and Danny ran from Don to Charlie, who picked the 6 year old up gingerly.

"Welcome Home Don!" the gang was all there. Megan, Colby and David, as well as Charlie, Amita, Larry and Alan were all gathered around Charlie's living room.

"And Happy Birthday too," Ash said, kissing her big brother on the cheek.

"Aw thanks guys," Don said. Ash helped him over to the couch and sat him down. "Really all of you. I don't know where I'd be if it wasn't for all of you."

"Uh oh, the man's going to get all gushy on us now," David said, nudging Colby, who faked a tear.

"Come on Don, I can't cry in front of everyone," he joked. Megan laughed loudly and rolled her eyes.

"This is what I work with everyday," she said, a look of amusement on her face. Ashlynn chuckled and turned on the CD player in the room before going to the kitchen to get a drink while everyone was surrounding Don.

She opened the fridge and grabbed a can of Coke, leaning against the counter and running a hand through her hair. She felt tired, but happy. Taking care of Danny as he recovered was difficult. The whole ordeal was difficult, and Ash was more than happy that she moved back to Pasadena, that she moved back to her family.

"Hiding?" Colby asked as he walked in and opened the fridge.

Oh yea, Colby was a plus for Ashlynn too.

"No, just thinking," Ash said, taking a drink of her soda. Colby nodded and grabbed his own soda before closing the fridge and standing in front of Ash. "How's your arm?" she asked, pointing to the bicep that had suffered a bullet wound.

"Nothing I can't handle," Colby said, flexing his arm. The slight wince didn't go unnoticed by Ash.

"Well aren't you all big and tough?" Ash teased. The music played loudly from the other room, a series of soft jazz that Don was particular to. Ash smiled and swayed a little to the tune.

"Want to dance?" Colby asked, putting his Coke on the counter and offering his hand.

"In the kitchen?" Ashlynn asked.

"Would you rather in the living room with everyone watching?" Colby asked. Ash nodded in agreement and put her drink down, taking Colby's hand in hers. They danced like they had in the basement that night of the storm. Ashlynn put her head on Colby's chest. Then she remembered something. She pulled back and looked at Colby with a smile.

"What?" Colby asked.

"I overheard Charlie and the others discussing a bet," she said. "And when I'm involed, I don't like to let my big brother down," she smiled cleverly.

"What are you talking about Ash?" Colby asked sounding generally confused. But Ash just smiled again and stood on her toes, giving Colby a sweet kiss on the lips. Cobly's lips smiled against hers before he leaned down and kissed Ashlynn back.

They were interrupted though, by a loud 'whoop' from the door way. "Fifty bucks boys and girls, pay up," Charlie said from the other room. There was a mixture of laughter, groans, and aww's.

"They bet on you and me?" Colby asked, confused.

"Charlie, Amita, Megan, and Larry did," Ash supplied what she overheard from the night of the storm.

"Well, that'll teach Megan never to bet against a mathmatition," Colby smirked.

"Yup, that'll teach her," Ash grinned, wrapping her arms gently around Colby. "Now where were we?"

* * *

In the other room, Charlie was collecting money from the other three betters. "I can't believe you bet on your baby sister's love life," don said, shaking his head.

"Why is everyone giving uncle Charlie moneys?" Danny asked from Don's side on the couch.

"Because Uncle Charlie," Alan picked up his grandson and hoisted him to his hip. "Bet that your mommy and Colby would, uhh…" Alan didn't know how to explain it to the six year old.

"Ew! They're kissing aren't they?" Danny made a face of disgust that made Alan laugh. He put Danny down, who ran off to the kitchen.

"Um, excuse me," Danny said, putting his hands on his hips like his mother often did. Colby and Ashlynn pulled away, both looking very sheepish. "Colby!" Danny wagged a finger and the FBI agent thought that he was about to be reprimanded by a six year old.

"yes Danny?" Colby asked.

"What are you _thinking_!? Don't you know that girls have cooties!" Danny raised an eyebrow and both Colby and Ashlynn laughed.

"They do, do they?" Colby asked. "Even your mommy?" Danny nodded matter-of-factly.

"Oh really," Ash laughed, swooping down to pick up her son and peppering his little face with kisses.

"Ew, Mommy!" Danny fussed. Ashlynn laughed and put down Danny. "I don't want them either!" and he ran off into the living room. "Grandpa! Mommy just put cooties all over my face and Colby's too!" Ashlynn laughed and kissed Colby one last time before taking his hand and joinging the rest of Don's party.

The End

* * *

Author's note: I thoroughly apologize for this taking so long. 3 years, really? Actually, its been exactly 3 years and one day. Shocking!

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